I think Panasonic is tired of losing money. They will focus their inovation to more profitable technology like OLED. Even LCD isn't profitable.

As a plasma owner since 2005, I am made my final plasma purchase this year. I'm waiting for my Panasonic GT 55 inch from Amazon soon. This will have to do until OLED prices come down to at least half of what we are hearing they will start at. I'm not so rich that I can become an early adopter for OLED. That's why I purchased this year. It will have to last me for at least 5-6 years. I honestly can't think of any reason to wait for a "new and improved Plasma".

I have a feeling we won't see new plasma TVs from Panasonic and the 2013 models will be basically the same as 2012. They are losing tons of money. I paid 5 Gs for my 50" 7 years old 720p . Quality doesn't come cheap and that's why Pioneer gave up on plasma TVs few years ago. People want cheap stuff , they will get cheap stuff.

I have a feeling we won't see new plasma TVs from Panasonic and the 2013 models will be basically the same as 2012. They are losing tons of money. I paid 5 Gs for my 50" 7 years old 720p . Quality doesn't come cheap and that's why Pioneer gave up on plasma TVs few years ago. People want cheap stuff , they will get cheap stuff.

Sony and Sharp are also swimming in red ink just like Panasonic is, yet neither of these companies even make Plasma TVs. Consumer demand for TVs is low this year and all manufacturers are seeing reduced TV sales compared to previous years on Plasma and LCD TVs.

These company's losses have more to do with the value of the Yen compared to the Korean currency, and the culture of the Japanese companies being much different than that of the Korean companies. The buying public wants cheap crap and the better companies are losing sales to it.

Sony and Sharp are also swimming in red ink just like Panasonic is, yet neither of these companies even make Plasma TVs. Consumer demand for TVs is low this year and all manufacturers are seeing reduced TV sales compared to previous years on Plasma and LCD TVs.
These company's losses have more to do with the value of the Yen compared to the Korean currency, and the culture of the Japanese companies being much different than that of the Korean companies. The buying public wants cheap crap and the better companies are losing sales to it.

If plasma was more profitable than LCD , Sony and others would not have give up on them. Whith the Koreans and Chineses in the market it is very tough for Panasonic to be profitable. Some companies announced they will no longer make TVs. Cheap is beaultiful but can have some downside as well.

I hope Panasonic keeps the plasmas alive, I can't watch LCD and probably can't afford OLED in large sizes.

Not exactly correct Randy. Panasonic already has a Plasma exit strategy. You were told that before by D Nice:

He wasn't talking to me but we already know they have an exit strategy - they've had one for years and they should have an exit strategy to plan for various eventualities - but that doesn't mean they're going to use that exit strategy anytime soon.

The question is - will they ever exit the PDP business? And if so, will it be in 2 years or 5 years or 10 years? Or will they continue making PDP alongside OLED until OLED becomes cheaper to manufacture and sell several years down the line?

Another potential problem with Plasma tech is that last year, raw phosphor became a scare commodity and manufacturers were having a hard time getting raw material. Philips Lighting was heavily backordered on flourescent tubes for about a month because they couldn't get phosphor (they owed us over a million 4ft tubes), then when they aquired material and resumed production the price of the tubes had almost doubled and today they are still about 50% higher than they were this time last year.

If we're talking what we can expect from a picture quality standpoint, all they need to do is get the black level below a 9.5G Kuro and OLED will be a lot less interesting. I think it's possible next year that they can hit 9G blacks, which at this point will be amazing just from a price standpoint with 60" ST60s at under 2k.

It seems that 2014/15, depending on various factors, is the year when they're supposed to have plasma tech that is a game changer (I'm guessing they have a zero black technology that they've been working on).

If we're talking what we can expect from a picture quality standpoint, all they need to do is get the black level below a 9.5G Kuro and OLED will be a lot less interesting. I think it's possible next year that they can hit 9G blacks, which at this point will be amazing just from a price standpoint with 60" ST60s at under 2k.
It seems that 2014/15, depending on various factors, is the year when they're supposed to have plasma tech that is a game changer (I'm guessing they have a zero black technology that they've been working on).

I wonder if the reported loss was recent because a lot of stores sell most of their ST stock and I had to wait the following week before I could get mine and I guess that can be perceived two ways they only had a few on hand or they were selling all they had.

The best thing Panasonic could do for 2013 is spend a little coin on TV advertising. Let the public know what the plasma technology has to offer compared to LCD technology. We all know what the differences are but for crying out loud, there are still people out there that think you need to change out the plasma gas every three years. I actually heard a salesman at Costco tell a customer that, this year.

Deeper black levels, brighter, less energy usage, etc. etc., just like every year. I'm sure it will inch ever closer to the Kuro, and the folks who said this year that they'd wait until 2013 to buy a Panasonic will say they'll wait until 2014 to see what improvements are made.

I feel like Panasonic made large strides in design and picture quality this year over 2011 models, so I am not too sure that 2013 will see a ton of advancement. I just hope the VT60s are not too great, because I'm very happy with my VT50

Also, I think larger sizes wouldn't hurt. I've been selling way more 70" Sharps this year than I did in 2011, and fewer large plasmas. 65" simply isn't big enough for many people nowadays, especially those upgrading from large RPTVs. I don't know if it makes economical sense to mass produce 70"+ PDPs, but it would definitely get them a spot in a market where Sharp has no competition.

^Let's hope they at least match Kuro 9G black levels by 2013...it will have been 5 years for heaven's sake. That's one of the primary holdups for Kuro owners delaying upgrades (who primarily want a larger size panel).